Psoriasis Causes

Psoriasis is a non-contagious disease but it is a chronic one. In most cases, psoriasis is evidenced by the presence of lesions on the skin accompanied by peeling and itching. They may be of different sizes and in different parts of the body. This disease can affect anyone, regardless of age, but more often psoriasis affects young people. At the same time, people whose relatives suffer from this disease, are more prone to it. Psoriasis occurs due to the fact that the human body responds abnormally to external stimuli. As a result, separate areas of skin develop abnormally or die.

What causes psoriasis?

There are a lot of triggers of this disease. For example:

Skin care

Improper skin care or its damage as a result of infections, inflammations and even excessive scratching of certain areas of the body can lead to psoriasis. As a matter of fact, neglect of the body and skin care causes a lot of health problems. People who carefully look after their skin have a much lower risk of psoriasis.

Sun

Interaction with the sun can also provoke psoriasis. A lot of people enjoy sunbathing, being absolutely sure that it does not harm their skin. However, being too long in the sun may have a bad influence on people who are prone to skin diseases. For instance, sunburn can cause occurrence of one of the types of psoriasis.

Infections

Infectious diseases, particularly streptococcal infections, are also frequent triggers of psoriasis. The bacteria that cause the infection are also responsible for little red points on the skin, which can already indicate symptoms of psoriasis.

HIV

HIV diseases often lead to the deterioration of immunity. A body faces difficulties with fighting infections. As a result, psoriasis can also develop or worsen. However, it is a surprising fact that on the later stages of HIV, psoriasis does not develop as fast as before.

Medications

All the medications are to be used in a proper way under control of the doctor. One should always keep in mind that certain drugs can make psoriasis significantly worse, in particular:

Antidepressants based on lithium

Drugs for lowering blood pressure based on beta-blockers

Medications for the treatment of malaria

drugs with anti-inflammatory effect, such as ibuprofen or naproxen

Stress

Being constantly under stress is definitely a reason for many serious health problems. People who suffer from psoriasis often experience stressful situations or inner conflicts, which may cause the disease progression.

Smoking

Smoking is proved to have a bad influence on the condition of the skin and to aggravate the disease psoriasis. Harmful substances contained in cigarettes have a negative effect on the skin and can trigger any skin problems, including a problem of psoriasis.

Alcohol

Drinking alcohol can cause aggravation of psoriasis or its development. The effects of alcohol, as well as cigarettes, are extremely negative. A frequent use of alcohol has a toxic-effect to the body.

Hormones

Disturbances in the hormonal system have a significant impact on the overall human health. Sometimes hormonal changes can lead to changes in the state of the disease psoriasis. For example, during pregnancy, women with psoriasis may feel better. However, after giving a birth to a child their disease can dramatically worsen, or vice versa.